


Fair Enough

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-05
Updated: 2006-01-05
Packaged: 2019-04-28 04:15:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14441205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: What else are friends for?





	Fair Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Sequel to my previous story, Fair Game.

  
Author's notes: Sequel to my previous story, Fair Game.  


* * *

Title: Fair Enough 

Author: mimic117 

Email: 

Rating: PG-13 

Setting: Season 6-ish, sequel to Fair Game 

Summary: What else are friends for? 

Archive: Sure. Have at it. I'll do Gossamer and Ephemeral myself, thanks. 

Disclaimer: M&S belong to CC, but Darlene, Kelly and Marie are all mine. The rating belongs to the MPAA, silly people that they are. 

Thanks: To my ever-patient Twinsy for the loving whacks upside the head. 

This one is for bellefleur in celebration of her birthday, which is my birthday, too. There's no one I'd rather share it with. 

* * *

Fair Enough  
by mimic117 

Dana Scully's apartment  
10:47 AM 

"Come on in, Marie. Where are the Terrible Twosome?" Dana gestures for me to enter, gracing me with the big, toothy grin she reserves for special occasions and special people. 

"Still in the car, primping. Lord forbid there should be one strand of hair out of place." 

Dana chuckles softly, the way she does when she's highly amused. "How bad was the hangover this morning?" 

I smirk as I follow her into the living room. "We would have been here sooner if those two could've stopped wallowing in self pity. Personally, I drank a lot of water and took some aspirin before bed and I feel fine. Best advice you ever gave me, Dana." 

She smiles again and I feel like the worst kind of friend. I wonder if it shows on my face. If Dana only knew the discussion going on while we were driving to her apartment, she'd be calling Darlene and Kelly something worse than "terrible." But I can't bring myself to tell her about the whispered conniving up in the front seat. I tried to ignore them as much as I could, yet I understood the gist -- Darlene plans to seduce Mulder away from Dana. Why she thinks it'll work any better now than it ever did in college, I don't know, but every time Dana got a new boyfriend, he became fair game as far as Darlene was concerned. She'd enlist Kelly's help to keep Dana distracted while Darlene cozied up to the current flame. The fact that she always made a fool of herself doesn't seem to have taught her anything. I can't believe she's planning to try her old tricks again. 

Maybe it's a good thing we only see each other at class reunions these days. 

I'm saved from blurting out what I know by a voice from the kitchen. 

"I got the faucet working, Scully, but I still think you should have the super look at it. I'm a Federal Agent, not a plumber." 

It's Dana's partner. Not that we've been formally introduced, but I'd recognize that voice anywhere, even after only hearing it last night. I'm not sure I'd recognize the face as easily, though--he's no longer wearing the smoldering look that first attracted my attention in the bar. He's not wearing a shirt, either, and it's his chest that's getting most of my scrutiny this time, although his jeans are pretty noteworthy, too. They ride low on his hips, the ragged waistband sagging slightly below his navel. Long, bare feet stick out from under the shredded hems. The snug-fitting thighs are faded nearly transparent, frayed slashes in the threadbare denim allowing his skin to peek through. The fly buttons strain against the frizzy buttonholes, testifying to the impressive package that had Darlene drooling last night. 

Dana always did have good taste in men. 

"Mulder, where's your shirt?" 

He holds out a sodden wad of gray in one hand. "It, umm, got wet." 

"You didn't turn off the valve in the closet like I told you to, did you?" 

"Of course I did!" Dana raises her eyebrow at him. Mulder scuffs his shoe on the carpet and suddenly he looks like a ten-year-old who's been caught putting curlers on the cat. "Eventually." 

"It serves you right." Dana's voice is stern, but there's a twinkle in her eyes that belies her tone. The air is electrified for a second as he gazes back. Neither of them says anything and I have no idea what's going on, but I feel like I should turn away to give them privacy. 

Mulder is the first to break the connection as he extends his hand to me. "We didn't get to meet properly at the bar. I'm Mulder." 

His hand is cool and firm. 

"Marie. I've heard a lot about you." 

He glances at Dana with a rueful expression. "I'll bet. Sorry about last night. That was entirely Scully's idea." 

Dana smacks his arm. "I didn't hear you putting up much of a fight about it." 

"You know I always bow to your superior strategizing skills, partner." He salutes. "Where the Captain leads, I follow." 

She rolls her eyes, then waves her hand at him and says, "If we're going out to lunch, you'd better add to your ensemble. You're missing something." 

Mulder bounds over to the sofa and wiggles his feet into a scruffy pair of sneakers sitting on the floor. Then throws his arms out to the side and exclaims, "Hey! I'm wearing shoes!" The three of us watch as his wet t-shirt goes sailing out of his hand. It squishes against the far wall. The glower Dana shoots him would stop a charging rhino in its tracks, but Mulder just says, "I'll get that," and saunters across the room to pick it up. 

When he bends down, a tattered rip in the seat of his jeans provides proof of Kelly's speculation last night in the bar-- Mulder isn't wearing underwear. The rip is too large and perfectly positioned to leave any doubt. The squeak that emerges from my mouth is unavoidable. 

Hands on hips, Dana glares at Mulder's exposed backside. "If you're quite through flashing us--" She's interrupted by a loud knock on the door. 

Mulder jumps and claps a hand to his ass. Wide-eyed, he glances from me to Dana to the door, where the knocking resumes amid high-pitched giggles from the other side. He points toward the hallway and says, "I'll just go and..." then lopes in that direction, long fingers still splayed over the rip in his pants. 

Dana yells "Chicken!" and turns toward the apartment door. She looks at me and grins. "I told him last night that Darlene has the hots for him." 

No wonder the poor man looked panic-stricken! Dana was probably teasing him about it all morning. I'm glad that she's on to Darlene's antics. 

When Dana opens the door, I can't believe what I see. That's not the same outfit Darlene was wearing when we got into the car! She had on a soft, buttoned sweater. Now the tops of her more-than-ample breasts, framed by the open sweater, spill out of a tight, low-cut, spaghetti-strap tank top. They jiggle like pale bags of Jell-O. Her pants are so tight they look as though they are painted on. She's wearing black stiletto heels instead of the sensible flats I saw earlier. Her makeup is much too heavy for the middle of the day and completely unlike what she had on before. 

That witch! I have half a mind to march her right out to the car and drive her back to the hotel. 

Darlene and Kelly prance through the doorway and hug Dana as though they haven't seen her in years. I recognize that tactic. They're trying to put her at ease, divert any suspicions she might have. If Dana didn't know before that something is up, she will now. 

When I catch Darlene's eye, she throws her shoulders back and gives me a defiant stare. The urge to hustle her out to the car gets stronger but Mulder's return stops me from following through. 

His hair is spiky-damp and swept off his forehead. He's wearing loose khaki pants, loafers and a bright blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled back. I can't help noticing the patch of chest hair peeking through the open shirt buttons. 

He looks every bit as good as he did in the ripped jeans. I'm really glad, for his sake, Darlene didn't see him like that. 

Dana turns to make introductions. Darlene has pulled her top down even farther. Her Jell-O bags bounce as she hops forward to shake Mulder's hand, her hardened nipples barely covered by the jersey top--and nothing else. She's not wearing a bra underneath. 

Darlene always did fight dirty. She nudges Kelly with her elbow when Mulder turns away to pick up his keys. Dana called them the Terrible Twosome. The Trollop Twins would be more accurate. It's all I can do to stop myself from knocking their heads together. 

"Is everyone ready to go?" Mulder asks as he snags a black leather jacket from the back of the sofa. 

"Go where?" Dana replies. "You never told me your secret plan." 

He waggles his eyebrows. "Papa Joe's." 

"Mulder! That place is a dump!" 

"It's not the classiest joint around, but it's got THE best seafood gumbo, bar none. Admit it, Scully. Your mouth just watered. Didn't it?" 

Dana visibly swallows and Mulder smirks. "Okay," she says. "So they have good food. But--" 

He raises a hand to interrupt. "No buts. You know I'm right." He looks at each of us in turn. "What do you say, ladies? If Papa Joe's doesn't have the best seafood you've ever eaten, lunch is on me. Does that sound fair?" 

Darlene would say yes if Mulder asked her to eat out of a dumpster. Kelly's nodding like one of those bobble-head dolls in a speeding car. I guess it's up to me to be the voice of the group. 

"Fair enough." The words are barely out of my mouth before Darlene latches onto Mulder's arm like a barnacle with Jell-Obag boobs. 

"I'll ride with you." Her voice is wispy and breathy, totally unlike her usual bold, brassy way of speaking. She practically drags the poor man to the door, hardly pausing to let him shrug into his coat as she twists the knob and tows him out into the hallway. Kelly dithers around, trying to slow us down. Dana grabs a jacket out of the closet, then herds her out the door and locks it behind us. 

Darlene tries to steer the rest of us to Dana's car while she rides with Mulder in his. He solves the who-rides-where problem by insisting that it'll be more fun if we all go together. Naturally, Darlene claims the front passenger seat until Mulder insists that he needs Dana to navigate. 

One point for the man with the quick mind. I know it won't stop Darlene for long, but at least she'll be sequestered in the back seat. It's a good thing the car is big enough to fit all of us at once. I can only imagine what kind of mischief she would get up to, alone with Mulder in the front seat. 

I hear Dana snort as we climb into the car. "Some things never change, do they?" 

Not when Darlene is involved. Lunch should be interesting, to say the least. 

* * *

Papa Joe's Fish Shack  
2:18 PM 

As soon as we're shown to our table, Darlene gets the upper hand by grabbing the seat on the right of Mulder and maneuvering Kelly into the one on the left. That means Dana is forced to sit across from him instead of by his side, where she belongs. I'm all set to argue with Darlene about it, but Dana shakes her head at me, so I let it drop. 

Darlene's cruising for a real earful the first chance I get. 

On Mulder's recommendation, I get the seafood gumbo and crab cakes. Not only is the food fantastic, the portions are huge. Before long, I'm so full I couldn't eat another bite if I was threatened at gunpoint. 

Dana was right about the atmosphere, though. Peeling vinyl cloths cover several round, rickety tables in the space between the counter and a wall. A plastic tumbler full of silverware and a roll of paper towels crowd the salt and pepper shakers in the middle of the table. A huge chalkboard with a menu written on it is propped next to the cash register. There aren't any paper menus or order takers. Once all of us had decided what we wanted, Mulder shouted our orders to someone at the counter, then a server delivered the food and checks to our table. This may not be the ritziest restaurant I've ever eaten in, but I like the relaxed, down-home setting. 

All through lunch, Mulder's been telling stories about the work he and Dana do, but I have to wonder how much he's making up. I don't know if he's one to tell whoppers, and Dana's going along with him, so I have to assume it's all true. Of course, considering what they pulled on us in the bar last night, maybe I should take what he's saying with a fairly large dose of doubt. 

Darlene's burst of overly loud laughter at his current tale draws the attention of just about everyone in the restaurant. She's been flirting with Mulder ever since we arrived, batting her lashes at him, touching his arm, laughing uproariously at everything he says, tossing her hair, leaning close so he has a good eyeful of her cleavage. I think she's nauseating but he seems to be taking it in stride. Maybe it was a good thing Dana warned him ahead of time. 

Kelly taps Dana on the shoulder and calls her name. Dana turns, but I can see a smirk twitching at the corner of her mouth. If Kelly thinks she can keep Dana busy so she won't notice what Darlene is up to, she's sadly mistaken. Apparently those two have forgotten that nothing gets past Dana. She used to remember tiny details about people and situations that totally escaped the rest of us. She doesn't seem the least bit flustered by Darlene's little game. Me, I'd be rip-out-her-hair, stamp-on-her-instep-in-heels livid if Darlene was messing with my man that way. But Dana is talking to Kelly as if nothing out of the ordinary is going on. Maybe that's because every time Dana says something, Mulder's eyes seek her out, like a plant following the sun. It's obvious to me that he's only being polite to Darlene, although I don't think Darlene's cottoned on to that fact yet. But Dana knows, and she trusts him. 

She's one lucky woman. 

Little shuffling noises signal that most of us are finished eating and ready to leave. All except Darlene, of course. She'd stay right here until tomorrow morning if it meant she could continue her seduction. 

Mulder scoops up all of the checks from the middle of the table before any of us can sort them out. There's a good bit of friendly protest over who's going to pay what, but he just keeps shaking his head until we all shut up. 

Then he says, "This time it's on me, ladies. Any friends of Scully's are worth more than a measly lunch." He stops talking for a second and looks straight at me. "Does that sound fair to you, Marie?" 

His gaze is locked so intently on me, I can't look away. He's trying to tell me something. Something other than what he's saying with words. I wonder what... 

He wants my approval. No, more than that. He wants me to know that he wasn't encouraging Darlene. He was simply humoring a friend of Dana's; being polite because she's important to the woman he loves. And it matters to him that I understand. 

I give him a small smile to let him know that I got it. I can see relief in his eyes when I reply, "Fair enough." 

He returns a smile like the one that made me weak-kneed in the bar. "Good. That's settled, then." He scoots back his chair and quickly moves to help Dana with her jacket in spite of the fact that Darlene is holding her sweater out to him. I take it instead and try to give her a copy of Dana's raised eyebrow while I help her put it on. She scowls at me. 

Dana leads the way out the door while Mulder goes to the counter to pay the checks. She says, "We're going to stop at a store on the way home and pick up some snacks for this afternoon. If you think of anything you want, speak up." 

Darlene and Kelly start suggesting every junk food you can think of, from Cheetos to Screaming Yellow Zonkers to Ding Dongs. When Mulder joins us, he throws in with the Ding Dong crowd. Dana rolls her eyes at me but I can tell she's enjoying the argument. Knowing her, there are already veggies in the fridge and she's only planning to pick up low-fat Ranch Dressing and multigrain crackers. But she lets the rest of them have their delusions all the way to the store. 

I thought we'd be stopping at a grocery store but the building we pull up to looks more like the little mom-and-pop places I remember from back home. Some of the signs in the window are badly faded and the prices are so low they must be from three or four decades ago. 

I would have been happy to let Dana and Mulder do the shopping until Darlene and Kelly pile out of the car right after them. I'm certainly not going to sit here by myself while Darlene is loose in the store with Mulder. 

As soon as I open the building's door, I wish I'd stayed in the car. My friends are standing to one side with their hands in the air. A man behind the checkout counter motions me inside with his gun. He has an elderly woman in a headlock. She looks terrified and I don't blame her. I put my hands up, too, and let the door swing shut behind me. 

What timing. 

The robber keeps swinging the gun from side to side. He has the clerk under control but now, with the five of us, there are a lot of people to cover at one time. I guess he wasn't expecting company. 

Darlene starts to whimper and Kelly joins her like a good stooge. I don't know how they think that's going to help. They're just making the robber more upset. They're not helping _my_ nerves, either. I sidle over to Dana and Mulder. If Darlene and Kelly are going to make themselves targets, I'll stand next to the calm people. 

"I don't have my weapon." 

It takes me a moment to realize the whisper I heard came from Dana. She didn't take her focus off the gunman, but I don't think she meant him to hear what she said. 

Mulder answers, "I do." 

She cuts her eyes at him for a second. "Which?" 

He lowers his gaze but doesn't say anything. 

Dana nods slightly. "Let me go first." 

"Your call." 

I have no idea what they're talking about. Still, for some reason, it gives me hope. They've been very careful to keep their voices down but the robber must have seen their lips moving. The gun swivels in our direction. 

"Shut up!" he shouts. "No more talking. We're gonna move into the back room so grandma can open the safe." 

"But I don't--" The woman doesn't get any farther when the gunman's arm tightens around her neck. 

"You'll figure out something if you know what's good for you." He shoves the clerk aside and backs toward a door in the corner, keeping us in his sights the whole time. He pushes the door open, then motions with the gun. "Grandma goes in first, then the rest of you, one at a time. I'll be keeping my eye on everyone, so no funny business." 

The robber backs into what is obviously a storage room and stands where he can see each person as they walk through the doorway. This is not a good sign. Darlene and Kelly start whispering, none too quietly. Idiots! 

"He's gonna kill us." 

"I know." 

"This is how it always happens in the movies." 

"And the fast-food shootings." 

"But this is a store, not a fast-food place." 

"Maybe that will make a difference." 

"You think so?" 

"It probably depends--" 

"SHUT UP!" the gunman screams. "I told you once to shut your mouths! Now keep 'em shut or I'll shut 'em for you!" 

They're my friends, but they're still idiots. 

I see Dana give Mulder a long look before she joins the clerk inside the storage room. I don't know what she was trying to convey, but his posture is suddenly different. He's poised to react. But to what? She never said anything. What is he expecting? 

I follow close behind Mulder as he trails Dana through the doorway. Darlene and Kelly crowd in behind me. It wasn't a big space to begin with. Now it feels even smaller. The clerk is already working the combination on a safe under one shelf but her hands are shaking. The gunman is as far from the rest of us as he can manage while still being able to observe everyone at once. He waves Darlene and Kelly to move in farther. I glance over at Dana for reassurance. She's watching the robber very intently, like she's waiting for something. Suddenly her eyes roll back in her head and she drops to the floor. 

Darlene and Kelly scream. The robber jumps and swings his gun in Dana's direction. Without thinking, I start toward her, but Mulder steps in front of me. 

"Don't shoot!" he yells. "She was scared. She just fainted. Don't shoot her." 

The gunman squares his shoulders and glares at Mulder before turning to the trembling clerk. "Hurry up, grandma! You've got one minute before I blow a hole in you and open it myself." 

I can't believe it. Dana never faints! Not even that time in college when we stopped to help at an accident scene on our way to lunch. The driver's arm was hanging by a thread but Dana wasn't thrown off balance in the least. She grabbed someone's belt to use as a tourniquet and got the bleeding stopped before the ambulance arrived. Once the paramedics took over, she cleaned up and continued on to lunch. I wasn't exactly hungry at that point, but Dana packed it away like a construction worker. And she's fainting over a man with a gun? I don't get it. Maybe something else is wrong. Maybe she's sick. Maybe-- 

"Federal agent! FREEZE!" 

Maybe I should remember what she does for a living. 

Darlene and Kelly scream again. The clerk faints--for real, I think. Mulder's hands are still in the air, but he isn't looking the least bit cowed or frightened. In fact, he has a downright "Gotcha!" smirk on his face. That might be because Dana is lying at his feet with a gun in her hand, pointed straight at the very surprised robber. I have no idea where she got it from, but I'm willing to ascribe it to divine intervention. 

The robber is still holding his gun, probably because he's too shocked to drop it. Mulder isn't taking any chances, though. 

"Throw it down, asshole," he commands. "She's a very accurate shot and she won't hesitate to take you out. Trust me. I know." 

Dana remains on the floor until Mulder gestures for the gun and the guy tosses it to him. Then she slowly stands, never removing her focus from the suddenly subdued gunman. She asks Mulder, "You have cuffs, too, by any chance?" 

He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a jangle of silver. "Don't leave home without 'em." 

While Dana keeps the would-be robber covered, Mulder walks over to him and grabs an arm. I hear the *slap-snick * of the cuffs. Mulder says, "You have the right to remain silent." 

His mouth keeps moving as the gunman lets loose a burst of profanity. I miss hearing the rest of the Miranda warning. Dana has her cell phone out and appears to be calling in the troops but I can't hear her, either, over the flood of cursing. She closes the phone and puts it back in her pocket. 

"I called for an ambulance," she says, "but I should check out the clerk while we wait." 

Mulder clears his throat, then puts out his hand, palm up, and waggles his fingers. "It might be best to hand over the hardware first." 

Dana slaps the gun into his palm before moving to the older woman, who's starting to stir. Darlene and Kelly are gone. I check out the door and see them huddled together in the middle of the store. They're jabbering away, probably fixing the details of what happened so that they come out the heroines. I'm sure I'll be hearing a completely different version of events later tonight. I should help Dana, but I need to know something first. 

I turn to Mulder, who has their finally-silent prisoner sitting on the floor with his back up against the wall, and ask, "Where did she get the gun?" 

He grins, then pulls up the leg of his khakis. Strapped above his ankle is a holster. 

Well I'll be dipped. That's why Dana fainted! She didn't really pass out, she was pretending so she could get to the gun! How clever. And very lucky for us that Mulder had it. But then I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else. Dana was always too smart to let people get the better of her. I should have known she'd find a man every bit as smart as she is. 

Like to like, my granny always said. That certainly seems true of Dana and her partner. 

"Hey!" The guy on the floor tilts his head back to look up at Mulder. "She ain't really a fed, is she?" 

Mulder looks over to where Dana is helping the dazed clerk to sit up. "Yeah, she is. So am I." 

"How do I know you're not lying?" 

Mulder reaches into his back pocket again. He pulls out a thin, black wallet, then flips it open in the other man's face. "We don't get 'em from a box of Cracker Jacks." 

The gunman's eyes widen. "What the hell kinda name--" The wallet snaps shut, barely missing his nose. 

"Not. Another. Word," Mulder growls. 

I hear sirens scream into the parking lot. Darlene and Kelly run to the doors instead of waiting for help to arrive. I hope they don't get themselves shot. 

Within seconds, the little storage room is filled with police officers, talking over the top of each other, making notes, checking out the prisoner and the clerk. It's chaos, but Mulder and Dana seem completely at home in the midst of it all. When the paramedics arrive, I'm forced to move out into the store or be trampled underfoot. 

Now that it's over, I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. Shock is setting in. My legs are trembling and I'm not sure I'll be able to stand much longer. I feel someone's arm around my shoulders and I jump. I didn't see Mulder approaching. I guess that proves how out of touch I am right now. His hand rubs up and down my arm comfortingly. It feels good to lean on him. I can see concern on his face when he asks, "How are you doing, Marie? You okay?" 

It's no wonder Dana loves this man. He's a definite keeper. 

I give him the best smile I can manage under the circumstances. "I'll be fine. I'm just a bit shook up is all." 

He smiles back and sings, "Uh huh. Uh huh huh, yeah yeah. I'm all shook up." 

His gravelly Elvis impression makes me laugh, and I realize I'm not shaking quite as much anymore. Something occurs to me and I look back over my shoulder at the store. 

"Where's Dana?" I haven't seen her since I left the storage room. I hope she's okay. 

"She's helping the paramedics with the clerk. They'll be out soon." 

"Is this what you two do all the time? How does Dana stand it?" 

Mulder chuckles softly. "Scully's tough. She usually deals with it better than I do. Besides, thwarting robberies is just a hobby. Our regular work isn't nearly this exciting." 

I laugh again, sounding slightly hysterical this time, even to myself. Mulder hugs me close for a second before guiding me toward Darlene and Kelly, standing by the car. "Let's get you three where it's a little more comfortable. It shouldn't be too much longer before we can leave." 

"Don't we need to give statements or something?" I've never witnessed a crime before. I'm not sure what I should do. 

When we stop next to the car, Darlene and Kelly move closer. Judging by their wide eyes, they probably could do with a hug or two as well. 

"You don't need to give a statement right now," Mulder says, including the others with a glance. "We'll make sure the police have your contact information in case they want to talk to you. But since Scully and I were witnesses, the rest of you probably won't have to go over it again if you don't want to. I'm sure the clerk will give a statement, so that should be all they need." 

He removes his arm from my shoulders and opens the rear car door. "Go ahead and sit down. We should be done shortly." 

Kelly gets in first, followed by Darlene, then me, but this time there's no jockeying for position the way there was when we left the apartment. 

Now Darlene is so obviously shaken, I'm almost ashamed of those thoughts. She can be a real pain at times, but that's just who she is. I knew that about her in college and I know she hasn't changed, but she's also my friend, and friends don't let each other hurt alone. 

I take Darlene's hand and squeeze it. She gives me a wavery smile and squeezes back. I'm sure she'll piss me off again by returning to her old tricks sooner rather than later, but at least she knows I'm still here for her. 

Dana comes out of the store and holds the door open so the EMTs can remove the elderly clerk on a stretcher. Mulder's been talking to a police officer ever since he helped us into the car, but now he turns as if he knew who just emerged from the building. Maybe he did. I wouldn't be at all surprised. 

He says one last thing to the officer, then moves quickly toward Dana. He stops close in front of her and frames her face with his hands. They just stare at each other for a few seconds, then he presses a kiss to her forehead and pulls her to him. She wraps her arms around his waist and rests her head on his chest while he rubs her back with both hands. She leans back to smile at him before turning toward the car, one arm still around his body. 

Darlene's been watching them with a subdued expression on her face. In spite of feeling more charitable toward her, I can't resist saying, "Maybe it's time for you to grow up, Darlene. We're not in college anymore." She nods solemnly but she doesn't say anything. 

Dana and Mulder get into the car and we resume our aborted drive to her apartment. Dana checks with each of us to make sure we're all right, but after that no one says anything, even when we stop at a different store. Only Mulder gets out this time. He returns before the silence can become awkward rather than thoughtful. 

Once we're back inside the apartment, Mulder takes his purchase to the kitchen while Dana shows the rest of us into the living room. It's good to settle onto the sofa cushions and know that we're safe. Kelly sits down next to me, but Darlene shifts from foot to foot. I can see moisture sparkling in her eyes. Her lower lip begins to tremble. 

Here it comes. An Act of Contrition was always the inevitable result of Darlene's failed attempts to seduce one of Dana's boyfriends. I guess some things really _don't_ change. 

Darlene flings herself into Dana's arms, nearly knocking her down in the process. "I'm so sorry," she wails. "I've been acting like such a bitch and putting the moves on Mulder and I really didn't mean it you know that and then you saved our lives cause I just know that robber would have killed us and I feel so awful and dirty and I wouldn't blame you if you hated me for the rest of your life and I don't know how I can ever thank you enough, Dana, I really don't." 

Darlene's sobbing now so it's a little hard to understand the rest of what she says, but Dana seems to get the gist of it. She pats Darlene's back and makes soothing noises until her emotional outburst trails off into hiccups. Dana retrieves some tissues from a nearby end table and hands them to Darlene. She waits until Darlene has composed herself, then looks her right in the eye and says, "What else are friends for?" 

I may burst into tears myself. What Dana and Mulder did went far beyond the usual tit-for-tat exchanges of friendship, but they seem to see it as no big deal. I don't know how _any_ of us can repay them for what they did except to be good friends in return. 

Dana guides Darlene to the sofa, then takes a seat in the armchair. "Tell you what," she says. "The next time you come to visit, I'll send Mulder off to investigate something while you're here to take temptation out of your way. I keep telling him he's too sexy for his own good." 

A bark of laughter from the kitchen is covered by the slamming of a cupboard door. Dana smiles at us. "Does that sound fair to you girls?" 

Darlene looks at me and Kelly, then gives Dana a watery smile. "Fair enough." 

It sounds like Darlene is finally getting the message. Maybe there's hope for her yet. 

* * *

**THE END**

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Title: **Fair Enough**  
Author: mimic117  
Details: 31k  ·  PG-13  ·  Series  ·  01/05/06  ·   Email/Website      
Gossamer Category(Keywords): Story   [Friendship, Humor]     
Characters: Mulder, Scully, Marie, Darlene, Kelly     
Pairings: Mulder/Scully romance   
SUMMARY: What else are friends for? 


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